The new car is edgier, with sharp creases in the front fenders and a smoother, more tautly stretched skin overall. The second-generation face lift, with all its bumps and flares, muddled up the coupe's clean lines. That first Tiburon coupe was a sleek Giugiaro design, while this one is the work of Hyundai's own design studio. The wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than that of the most recent coupe, and the length, width, and height are increased by 2.1 inches, 1.2 inches, and 0.6 inch, respectively. Like the old coupe that used the previous-generation Elantra platform, the 2003 Tiburon platform is derived from the new-generation Elantra. More power under the hood isn't the only change to the 2003 model it has been restyled inside and out. Hyundai is hoping the addition of an optional V-6 will attract more male customers, since 58 percent of current Tiburon buyers are of the female persuasion. They turned up their noses and shooed us away like an unpleasant odor, although the new Tiburon did get a better reception from people with less snooty dispositions. After lapping the F1 circuit in Monaco numerous times, we tried to make a pit stop at the café in front of the casino, but our Korean coupe wasn't exotic enough for the valets. We ended up at the fish museum because we couldn't find a parking space anywhere else. ![]() They are betting that a sleek new skin and more muscle under the hood are going to make this coupe more menacing to the competition. Tiburón is Spanish for "shark," and the folks at Hyundai are hoping that their redesigned sports coupe will take a bigger bite out of that market. We decided to check out the shark collection during our test drive of Hyundai's third-generation Tiburon. Legroom and elbow space are good, but headroom is meager.The Musée Océanographique in the principality of Monaco has an aquarium filled with creatures and plants collected from the world's oceans. Road and tire noise is prominent, but the engine - if anything - is too quiet for easy manual gear shifting. Stable on the highway, the Tiburon takes curves reasonably well, but it falls short of some rivals. Handling is good the GT coupe steers easily and maneuvers with some nimbleness in corners. Even though the car stays properly on course, it doesn’t impart a full sense of security. In performance-oriented models, the ride is bouncy on rough pavement. The Tiburon’s shapely lines don’t quite translate to the sporty driving experience one might expect. For 2007, the SE adds an electronic stability system. Seat-mounted side-impact airbags and four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard. The GS carries a 138-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that mates with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual. Rated at 172 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, the 2.7-liter V-6 teams with either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission in GT models or a six-speed manual in the SE. The SE coupe has aluminum pedals, metal-style trim, a trio of auxiliary gauges and a Kenwood CD/MP3 audio system. The seats in the GT feature red leather accents. Automatic temperature control and cloth upholstery with leather bolsters are installed in the GT model. Air conditioning, keyless entry, a CD stereo, and power windows, locks and mirrors are standard in all Tiburons. Up to four people can fit inside the Tiburon. ![]() The GS has standard 16-inch alloy wheels, but 17-inch wheels are available. A deck-lid spoiler is mounted on the GT coupe, which has 17-inch alloy wheels. A fully independent suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars is standard on all Tiburons.īuilt on a 99.6-inch wheelbase, the Tiburon is 173 inches long overall. Tiburons are equipped with all-disc brakes, which feature larger, cross-drilled rotors on the SE model. Styled in South Korea, the Tiburon coupe blends straight and curved lines in what Hyundai calls an effort to “emphasize vitality and strength.” The body features a high belt line and a short greenhouse, with a steeply raked windshield and back window. Upscale touches for the GT include automatic climate control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the SE has a sport-tuned suspension and six-speed manual transmission. Top-of-the-line SE models also added an electronic stability system and upgraded brakes. The car received updated front and rear styling for 2005, and it did again for 2007. Hyundai’s sporty two-door was first offered in its current body style for 2003. The sporty compact sits somewhere between a mild-mannered coupe - think Scion tC - and a genuine performance car, like the V-6 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Fresh off last year’s restyling, the Hyundai Tiburon has few changes for ’08.
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